Campaign mobilises support for fathers of girl children

Would Sania Mirza have become a tennis star had her father not lived out of a suitcase to fulfil her dreams? Would Priyanka Chopra have become the superstar she is without her father's unconditional support?
To mobilise support for such fathers who want to support their daughters in accessing their rights irrespective of societal pressure, and in turn prevent social evils like child marriage, a city-based NGO Breakthrough has launched a new campaign 'Desh Banaam Bal Vivaah'.
"Our current campaign aims to mobilise support for fathers who want to support their daughters but are not able to do so because of the pressure from the community members and other influential stakeholders in their lives, who expect the fathers to abide by the patriarchal norms," the NGO said.

Under the campaign, the organisation has launched a three and a half minute short film that shows how a father can support his daughter.
Motivated and supported by her father, a young village girl Rashmi is shown dreaming of becoming a "matric pass".
However, on her way back from school, everytime she introduces herself as "I am Rashmi, matric pass", she is demotivated by several people who tell her: "Aren't you dreaming too big, little girl?", "Let it go, you'll be getting married in a few days. Then you'll have to obey your mother-in-law just like me".

Another group of old men tell her, "In the village, when girls come of age, they get married, not educated. Understood?"

A disheartened Rashmi returns home and accuses her father of lying to her.
"You lie. People say that I'll never pass the matric. You'll get me married," she says, with moist eyes, only to be reassured by her father that nothing will come in the way of her education.
He says, "I promise you. You will pass the matric. That's the truth."
Adopted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, the production calls upon every parent to extend a hand of cooperation to fulfil a father's promise, so that "Rashmi can avoid a marriage before she turns 18, unlike 80 million of her peers".

The film culminates with a grown up Rashmi who eventually does "pass the matric".